Thursday’s surprising news that Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes to join Ferrari after the 2024 season shocked the F1 world.
It also meant that 2024 would be Carlos Sainz Jr.’s last season with the Scuderia.
Sainz, who joined the team for the 2021 season and is the only non-Red Bull driver to win a Grand Prix this season, has a contract with Ferrari until 2024. Sainz had asked for a contract extension with the team, but Ferrari reached a long-term deal. – Signed a loan deal with Charles Leclerc last month, and currently has a “multi-year contract” with Hamilton starting in 2025.
That means Sainz will be looking for a seat next season, along with 12 other drivers whose contracts are due to expire at the end of 2024.
Sainz posted about the news on social media, vowing to do his “absolute best” for both the team and the fans.
Sainz certainly has options. A move to Mercedes could also be an option, and he has long been linked with the next Audi works team. His father, Carlos Sainz Sr., just won the Dakar Rally with Team Audi, which could ease such a transition.
Regardless of where Sainz lands in 2025, one thing is clear.
This stupid F1 season might be different than any other.
